Precisely know your location anywhere, anytime.

Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS)

First Quasi-Zenith Satellite System 'MICHIBIKI'

Quasi-Zenith Satellite System Project Team

Space Application Mission Directorate
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
 Purpose of the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System
(QZSS)

The QZSS aims to deploy three satellites on orbit so as to always have one flying near the
zenith over Japan. By doing so, the system can provide a highly accurate satellite positioning
service covering close to 100% of Japan even in urban canyons and mountainous areas.

CG:
Image of the QZSS 1
 Background of the QZSS Development
- Positioning System in Other Countries-
The satellite positioning system has
been developed or is planned to be
deployed in many space-developed
countries due to its importance and
future potential
U.S.A: GPS (under operation)
(Global Positioning System)
System structure:
6 orbit planes x 4 satellites on each plane = 24
satellites in total (As of July 2010, 30 satellites are
under operation.)
Europe: Galileo (under testing)
System structure:
3 orbit planes x 10 satellites on each plane
= 30 satellites
(The first test satellite was launched in Dec. '05,
then the second one in April' 08. The whole
system will be completed sometime between
2016 and 19.)
Russia: GLONASS (under operation)
(Global Navigation Satellite System)
System structure:
3 orbit planes x 8 satellites on each plane =
24 satellites (As of July' 10, 21 satellites are under operation.)
China: COMPASS (partially under operation)
(Compass Navigation Satellite System)
System structure:
5 geostationary satellites and 30 mid- to high-altitude
satellites
(Since the launch of the first satellite in Oct. '00, four test satellites have
been launched. Four second generation satellites have also been
launched since April' 07. The whole system will be constructed by
2020.)
INDIA: IRNSS (under development)
(Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System)
System structure:
3 geostationary satellites and 4 geosynchronous orbit satellites
(The first satellite is scheduled to be launched in 2011, and the whole
system will be structured by 2014.)
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 Background of the QZSS Development
- Challenges of the current positioning system -

„ Impact of obstacles
„ For positioning (3D-positioning,) four or more positioning satellites are
necessary. However, Japan’s terrain is mountainous, and cities are
crowded with high rises. As the number of satellites that have a clear
view decreases due to these obstacles, the time percentage of
positioning availability is decreased, and positioning accuracy is also
deteriorated (deterioration of satellite deployment.)
„ Issue of positioning accuracy
„ When information is received from the GPS and processed, the
ionosphere, water vapor in the atmosphere, multipath, reflection by
buildings and trees, and other factors cause an error. Therefore, the
current positioning accuracy is about 10 meters. As the area of
positioning service application is getting broader, more and more
accurate positioning is called for.

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 Background of the QZSS Development
- Cooperative relations with American GPS -

• September 1998: "Joint Statement by the Government of the United States of

America and the Government of Japan on Cooperation in the Use of the
Global Positioning System" (Prime Minister Obuchi – President Clinton joint
announcement)
– The two governments decided to hold an annual Japan-U.S. GPS Plenary
Meeting to discuss important issues concerning GPS use.
• At the Meeting in Oct. 2002, the two governments agreed to set up a
Technical Working Group (TWG) to coordinate technical issues between the
QZSS and the GPS.
• To date, the following have been agreed to at the TWG.
– Compatibility: the two systems shall be operated without causing any
harmful radio wave interference.
– Interoperability: both systems must be able to receive each others’
positioning signals by the same antenna and receiving circuit

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 Role of the QZSS
"GPS Complementary"
Quasi-Zenith Satellite
To increase the time and area of
positioning service availability with the
GPS by transmitting GPS compatible
signals GPS satellite
GPS satellite

"GPS Reinforcement"
To improve positioning accuracy and
Comparable signal
reliability by transmitting information on with GPS satellite

GPS signal errors received at a Reinforcing signal

for the GPS
reference point and on GPS signal use
feasibility.

"Acquisition of the Next Generation

Basic Technology"
To conduct a satellite positioning experiment, and
research and development and on-orbit
experiments of simulation clock technology using GPS users (car navigation etc.)
L-band experiment signals (LEX) 5
 Positioning Service Improved by the QZSS

• Improvement of positioning availability time

– Complementary signals sent from high elevation will improve the time percentage of
positioning availability from 90 % (GPS only) to 99.8 % * (GPS + 3 QZS satellites.)
* The time percentage that the position dilution of precision (PDOP) is less than 6 when a satellite whose
elevation angle is 20 degrees or over is used for positioning calculation.

• Improvement of positioning accuracy

– Reinforcement signals will upgrade the positioning accuracy to one meter or even a
centimeter level

• Improvement of positioning reliability

– An anomaly of a QZS or GPS satellite will be notified within 20 to 30 seconds.

• Improvement of acquisition time

– By transmitting acquisition support information, the startup time required for signal
acquisition after turning on a receiver will be reduced to about 15 seconds from the
current 30 seconds to one minute for the GPS acquisition.
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 Future Changes Brought by the QZSS
- Contribution to traffic safety: Improving traffic information service -
Also contributing to
the environment!
• With the MICHIBIKI, the view area and time of positioning will be expanded.
The positioning accuracy will also improve to about one meter by using
MICHIBIKI's reinforcement signals (L1-SAIF signals) from the current
accuracy of a few meters to a tens of meters only with the GPS.

Through establishing the support

service for driving with accurate
positioning information, it is possible
to "prevent accidents," "avoid traffic
jams," and "optimize driving routes."

As a result, gasoline consumption will

be reduced, and, ultimately, that is
expected to contribute to CO2
emission reductions.
Example of driving support in an urban area using accurate positioning information
(Reducing traffic jams by accident prevention) Image by Road Bureau, Ministry of
Land Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
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 Future Change Brought by the QZSS
- Contribution to disaster prevention: Providing emergency information
information in case of emergency –

• Acquiring accurate information at the time of a large scale disaster is

extremely important to understand the damage and situation and to prevent
secondary disaster
• With the GPS only, we can learn only location and time, but the MICHIBIKI
enables us to add emergency information such as disaster information to
positioning signals and reinforcement signals, and transmit such signals
with additional information to all at once.

Emergency information can be

received by mobile phones that
are compatible with the
GPS/MICHIBIKI; therefore, it is
very effective to transmit disaster
prevention information especially
in Asia and Oceania, where
mobile phones have permeated.

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 Future Change Brought by the QZSS
- Application to leisure: Expanding applicable areas -

• Sightseeing service using GPS function on

mobile phones
– Tourists can look around places of interest efficiently
in a limited time, while sightseeing spots also benefit
from more visitors, and, ultimately, that invigorates
the local economy.
– With only the GPS, radio waves may not reach
mountainous areas and urban canyons. As a
positioning satellite will always be near the zenith by
the QZSS, positioning information will become
available quickly and accurately in these problematic
areas.

Positioning service will be available for sightseeing in an urban area where a

lot of hot spots are concentrated and for trekking in a gorge or a forest.
In case of being lost in a gorge or a forest, you will be able to locate yourself
by receiving signals from the MICHIBIKI who will be just above you.
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 Development Organization of the QZSS

The first development phase of the QZSS, "Technical verification and application
verification by the First Quasi-Zenith Satellite 'MICHIBIKI'," was led and complied by
the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT.) It has
since been promoted in cooperation with the Ministry of International Affairs and
Communications (MIC,) the Ministry of Economy, trade and Industry (METI,) and the
Ministry of Land Infrastructure Transport and Tourism (MLIT.)
Organization for the first phase
(Technological verification and application verification phase)

Technological verification (*1) through research and

development by the four ministries.
Private sector
(SPAC*)
MEXT MIC METI MLIT Participating in
application
verification (*2) Related
government
ministries and
System preparation/operation: JAXA agencies

* Satellite Positioning Research and Application Center jointly

established by the four related ministries on February 5, 2007
*1 Technological verification: verification experiments to confirm 1) GPS complementary,
2) GPS reinforcement, and 3) function and performance of the next generation basic technology
*2 Application verification: verification experiments of application using positioning signals from a QZS.
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 Structure of the QZSS
First Quasi-Zenith Satellite "MICHIBIKI"
Positioning signal
Navigation message
GPS satellite Bidirectional time
comparison

TLM / CMD
Test receiver Reinforcement signal

Application
verification terminal
9 overseas and Time control test station
domestic stations

Laser ranging station Positioning monitor test station

Ground equipment
Standard time facility
UTC (NICT)
QZS tracking Master control test station
and control station Pseudo-clock
@NICT

AIST device monitor

@ JAXA Tsukuba Space Center control equipment @AIST

L1-SAIF + station
Electronic base point
CMAS station L1-SAIF station

@SPAC @ENRI
Correction information generation device for positioning @GSI
* L1-SAIF: L1-Submeter-class Augmentation with Integrity Function
NICT: National Institute AIST: Advanced ENRI: Electronic GSI: Geospatial SPAC: Satellite Positioning
JAXA of Information and Industrial Science and Navigation Research Information Research and Application
1111
Communications Technology Institute Authority of Japan Center
Technology
 First Quasi-Zenith Satellite 'MICHIBIKI'
- Satellite Characteristics -

Box shape: 2.9 m x 3.1 m x 6.2m

Configuration (at the time of launch)

Mass About 4 tons Solar Array Paddle

(at the time of launch)
Power
About 5 kw
generation

Designed life Over 10 years 25.3m

Orbit altitude
Apogee altitude: about 39,000 km
(Initial orbit) Perigee altitude: about 33,000 km
Launch
H-IIA Launch Vehicle 202 type
Vehicle

Ku-band bidirectional time

comparison antenna (NICT)

Laser reflector

L1-SAIF antenna (*1) L-band helical array antenna

(L-ANT)
*1 L1-SAIF: SAIF is a "Submeter-class Augmentation with Integrity Function",
and it is a reinforcement signal for super high-speed mobile objects
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 First Quasi-Zenith Satellite 'MICHIBIKI'
- Development responsibility sharing -

First Quasi-Zenith Satellite (QZS-1)

Bus system
Telemetry, tracking and command subsystem (TT&C)
Applying
Electrical power subsystem (EPS)
Overall NEDO’s R&D
Solar array paddle subsystem (SPS)
Management results
Attitude and orbit control subsystem (AOCS)
Bipropellant propulsion subsystem (BPS)
Structure subsystem (STR)
Applying USEF's
Thermal control subsystem (TCS)
R&D results
Integration hardware subsystem (INT)

Navigation payload (NP)

Rubidium atomic frequency standard (RAFS) AIST's R&D
L-band transmission subsystem (LTS) software is
Time transfer subsystem (TTS) onboard
Laser reflector array (LRA)
NICT's R&D
Secondary payloads (SP) product
Monitor camera (CAM)
Technical data acquisition equipment (TEDA)

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 First Quasi-Zenith Satellite 'MICHIBIKI'
- Overview of Navigation Payload -

Carrier wave
Positioning signal
time comparison siganl
JAXA device

NICT device

Laser reflector
Time comparison
device flight model Flight model of the
onboard navigation system L1-SAIF
ANT
Rb Time modulator amplifier
Onboard
atomic control Synthesizer control
clock MSG Navigation MSG
unit computer PRN code combiner
Radio frequency control
upload data
Phase error

L-ANT
Time
telemetry and command comparison
TTC Subsystem Navigation MSG device
High Ku antenna
frequency 14
 Ground Stations Supporting MICHIBIKI Operation

• Nine foreign and domestic monitor test stations receive positioning signals
from the MICHIBIKI. Those signals are gathered at the Master Control Station
(MCS,) then the tracking and control stations send them to the MICHIBIKI with
correction data generated by related organizations.
• The MICHIBIKI receives data for positioning signals from the tracking and
control station in Okinawa, and transmit signals to the Earth.

Monitor test station

(9 overseas and domestic stations)

Master Control Station (in Tsukuba)

Time control test station

(in Koganei and Okinawa)

QZS tracking and control station

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 Post Launch Operation Plan
• Post launch operation plan
– In about 10 days: completion of the transfer orbit phase
– In about two weeks: completion of the drift phase, and injection
into the quasi-zenith orbit
– In about three months: completion of the initial function verification
to start technical verification experiments and application
verification

• QZSS and MICHIBIKI information provision

– Special site
http://www.jaxa.jp/countdown/f18/index_e.html
Latest information including launch preparation status, launch and orbit injection
– QZSS project site
http://qz-vision.jaxa.jp/
Mission explanation, orbit and time date during the operation

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 QZSS and International Cooperation
- Relation with the ICG (International Committee on Global Network
Network Satellite System, GNSS) -

• ICG = International Committee on GNSS

– A committee for satellite positioning systems established under
the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
(UN-COPUOS) in 2006. Voluntary-based activity by countries
and organizations who are interested in the satellite positioning system.

• Japan participates in the committee as a GNSS provider.

– MTSAT (Multi-functional Transport satellite) Satellite-based Augmentation System (MSAS)
– QZSS
– Host and chair an ICG meeting (2011 in Tokyo)
– Participate in the decision making of the ICG as a member

• ICG participants
– GNSS providers (U.S.: GPS, Europe: Galileo, Russia: GLONASS, China: COMPASS, India: IRNSS,
and Japan: QZSS)
– Member countries (Italy, Malaysia, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates)
– Related international organizations (Bureau International des Poides et Measure (BIPM,) International
Association of Geodesy (IAG,) International GNSS Service (IGS, ) and others.) 17

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 QZSS and International Cooperation
- Verification experiment on the Asia/Oceania regional multi GNSS -

• The MICHIBIKI's orbit is in a shape of the figure "eight (8)" with its center at the equator over Japan
and Australia. Therefore, its signals can be received not only in Japan, but also in South Korea,
Australia, and South-Eastern Asian countries.
• The Asia and Oceania regions are the first areas that can enjoy the benefits of the multi-GNSS (GPS,
Glonass, Galileo, Compass, QZSS, IRNSS) in the world.

• We would like to set up a framework to promote cooperative experiments for application verification in
order to facilitate the use of the multi-GNSS in Asia and Oceania.

The first Asia/Oceania regional workshop

In Bangkok, Thailand, on January 25 and 26
195 participants from 18 countries and 95
organizations

The second
meeting is
scheduled to
be held18
within
Japan Fiscal
Year 2010
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 Nickname 'MICHIBIKI'
• The nickname "MICHIBIKI," meaning "guiding" or "showing the way," was
selected as a nickname through a campaign conducted between October
and December, 2009. (Total of 11,111 participants in the campaign)
• Reason for the selection
Many godparents of "MICHIBIKI" explained their selection reason as the
QZS-1 is to show us correct locations using its highly accurate positioning
information, and to guide us toward a futuristic society by establishing the
next generation satellite positioning technology in Japan. The name was
chosen as it precisely illustrates the QZS mission.

MICHIBIKI-san

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 Mission Logo
• Mission Logo
– The mission log design shows the
unique footprint of a quasi-zenith
satellite orbit, which looks like the
figure "eight (8)." The English
acronym "QZSS" is also on the logo.

• Decal on the H-IIA Launch

Vehicle No. 18
– A decal with MICHIBIKI's mission logo and
logo marks of related organizations will be
attached to the body of the H-IIA Launch
Vehicle No. 18.

The decal that will be attached to the H-

H-IIA (4.2 x 3.0 m) 20